Wireless communication devices such as smartphones and tablets typically include one or more transceivers that provide wireless connectivity to one or more wireless networks, where each network uses a different communication standard. For example, a smartphone may include a cellular transceiver that connects the smartphone to a cellular network (e.g., a Long Term Evolution or LTE network) and a WiFi transceiver that connects the smartphone to a WiFi network (e.g., an IEEE 802.1x network). Additionally, the smartphone may include a Bluetooth transceiver that can connect the smartphone to another Bluetooth device. Each transceiver communicates in a frequency band specified by the respective communication standard.
Mobile wireless communication service providers operate using radio frequency (RF) spectrum allocated by and licensed by government regulatory agencies such as, in the United States, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC). For example, the FCC allocates/licenses the following bands (in units of mega Hertz (MHz)) for wide area wireless communication services: 698-894, 1710-1755, 1850-1910, 1930-1990, 2110-2155, and 2496-2690. Other frequency bands are allocated/licensed by government agencies for other uses such as broadcast television, broadcast frequency modulation (FM) radio, etc. To use any of these frequency bands, an operator must obtain a license from the appropriate government regulatory agency and agree to use the frequency bands for the designated purpose. Such frequency bands are referred to herein as “licensed frequency bands” or “licensed bands.”
The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) defines standards for mobile telephone communication protocols for systems deployed in the licensed bands, such as the High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) standard, the Evolved High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA+) standard, and the Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard. Similarly, the IEEE 802.16e Standard defines communication protocols for mobile telephone communication systems that are to be deployed in the licensed bands. HSPA+, LTE, and the IEEE 802.16e Standard are examples of wireless wide area network (WAN) communication protocols.
Other frequency bands are allocated by government agencies for use by the general public and do not require a license from the government (but the government typically places use restrictions such as a maximum transmission power). For example, wireless local area networks, such as those operating according to a communication protocol defined by the IEEE 802.11 Standard, generally operate in the following bands (in units of MHz): 2400-2500 and 5240-5825. Such frequency bands are referred to herein as “unlicensed frequency bands” or “unlicensed bands.”